Twenty -three years ago, black activists conducted constant efforts so that slavery became the focal point of the exhibition at the house in Philadelphia, which once occupied by the presidents of George Washington, and later John Adams. It was a chapter of the history in which the National Park service – at the beginning – hesitating to explore.
But the perseverance of activists helped to transform the President’s House in the Independence National Historical Park into what it is today: a powerful tribute to nine people President George Washington enslaved there during the founding of the United States.
And now in just over a month, until September 17, these efforts could be changed or removed in the next attempt to disinfect history in response to the order from President Donald Trump, who tries to remove content in national parks, which his administration considers to be “improper disconnection of” Americans of the past or living.
“We are not terrified, we are not exhausted, we are not pessimistic, we are not beaten. We are resistant,” Michael Coard, lawyer and founder member Avenging the Adecors Coalition (Atac), he said in an interview on Wednesday. “The same energy and passion that we used in 2002–2010 is now on steroids.”
Six shows that have been examined are at the President’s House and many shed lightweight at the horrors of slavery, whose depths, as activists say, were not fully examined in the Independence Park until the great opening of the site in 2010.
But telling this story did not come without a fight.
In 2002, Avenging the Advestors Coalition, led by the Black Coalition of activists, worked with local scholars, lobbyed selected officials and negotiated directly from Independence Park to make sure that the history of slavery was concentrated in this place. Unlimited generations, run by The slow historian and curator Charles L. Blockson also joined the spokes.
What said that from this year Atac initiated the Day of the Black Independence Day.
Above Two decades later, many of the same supporters are once again strategy to save the exhibits from Trump’s order. In September, activists will organize a public town hall.
Confusion means what can be a greater battle that can tell the story of the founding of America before the 250th anniversary of the country next year, when all eyes are in Philadelphia.
“One step forward, two steps, and then we come back”
The memory of the house where the first two American presidents lived, almost earlier disappeared.
It served Many goals: House for the grandson of William Penn, the infamous traitor Benedict Arnold for a year, financier Robert Morris for another. In the years 1790–1800 it was the executive court of Washington, and later Adams. Then it was a hotel, and later demolished and transformed into commercial real estate. In 1951, the last remains above the ground were dismantled to build an Independence Shopping Center.
The historical respect of the house has deteriorated significantly – the public toilet sat here in 1954–2003.
Edward Lawler Jr., a historian Non -Profit Independence Hall Association, submitted the history of the site in 2002, when he published an article, “President’s house in Philadelphia: Re -discovery of the lost landmark” In Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, trying to set a record about a real location – and history – home.
Historians Gary B. Nash and Randall M. Miller and Inquirer reports at that time also made the history of slavery aware of this place, including the revelation that the Liberty Bell pavilion was built at the request of “slaves” in Washington. According to the Inquirer Archives archive, at that time the park service did not want to study the site.
“No matter what happened in the President’s House, I thought it would have to be based on my research because I eliminated everyone who did something wrong,” said Lawler on Thursday, referring to other faulty speculation about the location of the house.
Coard said that Lawler’s work served as a catalyst for Atac.
Coard said that Atac was able to engage the Independence Park in “Serious Discussions” in less than a year. He noticed that the park never told “no” supporters, but for the first few years it was “quite antagonistic”. It wasn’t until about six years after their support began, when the activists felt that the focus on slavery was a finished contract.
“We all agreed that slavery would be visible,” he said about negotiations. “The question was how visible?”
Former director of Park Service Mary A. Bomar, appointed by former President George W. Bush, was also assigned by COACAR for her cooperation.
After the park officials presented the exhibition plan: “Public reaction, city government and other stakeholders expanded the conversation and began a constructive process that created a plan that is believed that all parties were both accurate and respected for all people in the past and present,” said Park Independence Park spokesman in the statement.
“It required a compromise of all sides,” added the spokesman. “In general, the park is satisfied with the evolution of cooperation and the final result.”
Two decades later, this work raised the side under the control of the Trump administration.
One of the panels marked by the staff at Independence Park for Administration review She sheds lightweight on the signing of Washington, the Act on convergent slaves from 1793, which allowed People who escaped from slavery on state lines to recover their slave owners. Washington signed the law when he lived in Philadelphia.
Two people who enslaved Washington at the president’s house could escape to freedom: Hercules AND Oney judge. Their names together with Austin, Paris, Christopher Sheels, Richmond, Giles, Moll and Joe are commemorated in this place.
What said that former mayor Philadelphia John F. Street brought a sense of ID card support. Activists noticed He was the first selected official who started financing the project And he created a control committee where Coard, Lawler, Blockson and other key government and interested parties sat. The site was completed under the command of former mayor Michael Nutter.
Michelle Flamer, who worked in the Municipal Law Department for just over 39 years and supervised the contractor’s offers for the project, said that the unity in the black community “almost goes beyond the value of the exhibition.”
“Only the idea that we had black people in Philadelphia who are combining and conducting efforts to fully talk about history, full of history about what happened, good and evil,” said Flamer.
The variety was also at the forefront of the website’s development. McPherson, who was the director of the project during the years of development, said that all about the creation of the President’s House, including employing professionals from non -white environments, was intended.
Kelly Maiello Architekci, run by a black company, was in the project. Design company Existhold Associates Inc. She commissioned a black artist on the panels on the site, and Louis Messjas, a film filmmaker and Lorene Cary, the author, also helped telling stories.
But McPherson is “angry” that these years of tough work and this significant part of American history are threatened under Trump’s rule.
“I am angry that the unconsciousness of the person who is trying – probably never has been on the site, has no idea what a lot of this story means, and behaves like segregation of the past, to be honest,” said McPherson.
Karen Warrington, who was the then democratic representative of the American communication director Bob Brady, was a member of the control committee. Brady and were democratic American rep. Chakak Fattah helped secure federal funds for the project. Over a decade later, Warrington sat in the shade near the president’s house and looked at so on August 2 to protect the president’s home exhibits from Trump’s administration. She noticed that the USA is like “cha-cha-cha”.
“One step forward, two steps, and then we come back,” she said.
All eyes can be the activism of the President’s home
In 2000IN Public opinion watched how the creation of the President’s House was created.
Visitors stood on a nearby platform and observed an archaeological excavation, which caused the discovery of some original structural remains of the house, which were ultimately included in the up-to-date project.
During the staid breakthrough in March 2007, Philadelphians collected bricks or soil bags to commemorate a significant opportunity.
This excavation is currently located under a glass housing in the park for the audience.
Now, as activists say, public commitment will be the key to protecting the site’s exhibits, because they remain in danger under the Trump administration and want to build a coalition of people from all environments.
McPherson said that the town hall in September would be an opportunity to further stimulate consciousness and activity. He runs a charge alongside Coard, Fr. Marek Tyler from the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Flamer, former lawyer of the Law Department of Philadelphia.
Other Philadelphians started their own projects to keep the President’s House before it is too slow, creating the archives of the crowdsourcing community or developing the recreation of the original home in artificial intelligence.
Supporters also examine potential legal options and whether Trump’s administration is jurisdiction.
“The first thing is to build an army,” said Coard. “The second thing is to work on our political strategy and our legal strategy,” noting that if the first one does not work, “we are forced to go to court.”
Hope, Tyler said, is for Philadelphia and the Chamber of President to set an example of other endangered exhibits throughout the country.
“We are interested in that we are right in Philadelphia, because other sites like ours are watching us,” said Tyler. “Because, as always, Philadelphia is generally the first.”
